Getting from Spetses to Halki

If you are heading to Halki from Spetses you are making your way from a car-free island in the Saronic Gulf to another car-free island just off the western coast of Rhodes in the Dodecanese group, on the opposite side of the Aegean. It has neoclassical sponge merchant mansions around a horseshoe harbour and a pace of life that is as slow as it gets in Greece.

Take the ferry

There is no direct ferry from Spetses to Halki. Getting there by sea means taking the Saronic ferry from Spetses to Piraeus, which runs up to 10 times daily and takes around 2 to 3.5 hours, and then boarding the overnight Piraeus to Rhodes ferry, followed by the local ferry from Rhodes to Halki taking around 1.5 to 2 hours and running several times a week. Flying is considerably more practical for most travelers.

Getting there by air

Halki has no airport. The nearest airport is Rhodes. Spetses has no airport. The nearest airport is Athens. Taking the Saronic ferry from Spetses to Piraeus, flying from Athens to Rhodes and then taking the local ferry from Rhodes to Halki gives a total journey time of around 5 to 6 hours. In Greece, airlines do not operate direct inter island flights.

Your best option

Take the Saronic ferry from Spetses to Piraeus and fly from Athens to Rhodes, then take the local ferry across to Halki. Give yourself at least two nights on Halki as the pace of life rewards those who stay long enough to settle into it. Both Spetses and Halki are car-free so the transition feels entirely natural. Note that if you are traveling with a car it would be at the mainland port of Kosta, from where you can drive to Piraeus and board the overnight Piraeus to Rhodes ferry, leaving your car there before taking the local ferry to Halki.